Lots of babies!
I thought the hospital was amazing. My previous experience with peds was over the span of an 8-week course and the week-long stay in the NICU of my daughter. The clinical time definitely was a good experience, but our peds floor is pretty small and the nursery does not treat a high-level of acuity. During my daughter’s stay in the NICU, I really did not know what to look for while I was there in order to learn anything and I was more worried with her outcome than anything.
I know that we were extremely stressed during our daughter’s stay and she improved relatively quickly. I couldn’t imagine the amount of hardship a family goes through when their child’s prognosis is poor. I imagine that children are scared when they are in the hospital. So much is new to them and there is almost always some amount of pain. They may regress and think that they are being punished for something they did. Some kids, on the other hand, seem to be a little bundle of hope.
The organization serves 18 counties, so they have to cater to a large variety of cultures. Cherokee on the other hand, treat members so they treat them in accordance with their own cultural preferences.
Seeing the number of babies in the NICU and hearing that 12% of births are substance exposed was pretty shocking, but I feel the hand prints on the wall had the largest impact. The professionals involved with caring for these children are very special and strong individuals. I love children and hate that any of them would ever have to endure the things they go through, but I do not think I would ever be able to do their job.
Phil,
ReplyDeleteI loved that you shared with us your personal experiences in a children's hospital. I could not imagine the stress, fear and/or anxiety these patients and families experience when admitted into the hospital for long periods of time. What I enjoyed most about Mission Hospital was the accommodations they made for patients and families. They had large rooms with pull out beds, a variety of options of movies, arts and crafts, XBOX, stuffed animals, bikes, and more. The adorable paintings on the walls kept things interesting and fun for everyone. Mission's Hospital was such a welcoming place!
Good job Lakin!
DeletePhil,
DeleteI found the statistic of babies born exposed to substance abuse startling, as well. It definitely speaks to the needs of the community and the critical nature of the epidemic. It is clear something needs to change in this community. However, while we are waiting for the change, it seems Mission and Cherokee are both taking it upon themselves to offer up services and programs to help these people to hopefully keep them out of this situation again.
-Haley
Phil,
ReplyDeleteThe pediatric and NICU units were awesome! I think it’s important for all units to be great, but I think these two specifically. Children and their families are not on these units because they want to be and it is usually due to mild-severe illness or life threatening conditions. The pediatric unit really caught my attention because of the attention to detail they put in to the environment of the unit with the paint colors, the art work, play areas and the general attitude of the staff. Serving so many counties is a big task to undertake and I feel that in the short time that we were there we were able to get a taste of how well they handled the load. Seeing the Reuters clinic was another affirmation of this as well. It was a ‘one-stop-shop’ for most health care needs to keep kids out of the hospital which can prove to be very beneficial in the overal health of children. Children are influenced greatly by their experiences as they grow so any opportunity to make the best of a less-than great situation is imperative. Great post!
Thank you for sharing you and your wife's personal experience of having a baby in the NICU Phil. The dialogue responses from class members is very good as well. Thank you all for good reflection and response!
ReplyDelete